Biography Wikipedia
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Zoviet France (also known as :$OVIET:FRANCE:, Soviet France, :zoviet-france: and latterly usually written as :zoviet*france:) is a prolific music group from Newcastle upon Tyne in north east England. While often dissonant and made of industrial textures, their music also falls into the ambient music category. Formed in 1980, and remaining largely anonymous, the group has had a number of members; presently it consists of co-founder Ben Ponton and Mark Warren. Former members included Neil Ramshaw, Peter Jensen, Robin Storey (who now records as Rapoon), Lisa Hale, Paolo Di Paolo, Mark Spybey (who now records as Dead Voices on Air) and Andy Eardley. In 2005 Storey, Spybey and Eardley formed a new group, Reformed Faction.
Their music often consists of droning textures set against fractured rhythms and fleeting dissonant melodies and their earlier recordings have been described as "evoking a cross between musique concrète and tribal music". Neglected sound sources are frequently used, such as obscure radio broadcasts, toy instruments, and field recordings, often heavily processed or looped. Over time, they have increasingly added electronic elements but without adopting computer based composition techniques. In describing their approach to making music, the group has been quoted as saying:
The packaging of their early releases was often unconventional, the group employing materials such as hessian, tar paper and aluminium foil. Since CDs became the dominant music format, their packaging has been less inventive, although they have since incorporated felt, wood veneer, and decorative pins.
Soundtracks
Screen based productions (film and video)
Loud Visual NoisesA film by Stan Brakhage (U.S. 1987). Includes an excerpt from Cair Camouflet from the album Look into Me. Released on the video 4 Sounds Films by Stan Brakhage (Joel Haertling, U.S. 1990).
Transients #1A video production by Mark Mushet (Suture Productions, Canada, 1991). Includes excerpts from the album Shadow, Thief of the Sun.
(untitled)A video production by :zoviet*france: (UK, 1991). A promotional video for the album Shadow, Thief of the Sun produced for television broadcast only.
T-CityA video production by Karas (Japan, 1993). Includes excerpts from the album Shadow, Thief of the Sun.
En Scooters Sous Les MersA film by Jacques Cousteau, soundtrack commissioned by Ian Helliwell for the Soundtracks for Super-8 film programme (UK 1998). Commissioned soundtrack title: Silence Des Mers Avec Scooters.
Tyneside JourneyA film by Ravi Deepres (UK 2000).
(untitled)A video production by :zoviet*france: (Nuit Et Brouillard, France, 2001). Featured on the Deadly Actions Live Retrospective 1994-1996 video compilation of bands that performed at Deadly Actions festival in France.
SpadeadamA video production by Louise K Wilson (UK, 2003).
The Shop FloorA video production by Francis Gomila (UK, 2003). Soundtrack taken from Amber, from the album Digilogue.
EuphonyA video production by Louise K Wilson (UK, 2005).
TremorA film by Ravi Deepres (UK, 2005).
RunnerA film by Ravi Deepres and Michael Baig Clifford (UK, 2006).
Deadly CargoA film by Camcorder Guerillas (UK, 2008).
Performance works and events
(untitled) - A performance by John Smith (UK, 1996)in:edit - A contemporary dance production by Saburo Teshigawara and Karas, (UK, 1996)Except That I Would Like To Be Rid Of It - A contemporary dance production by Zero Visibility Corp (Norway, 1997)The Millennarium - A contemporary dance production by Random Dance Company (UK, 1997)Hunt Out (Reprise) - A contemporary dance production by Zero Visibility Corp (Norway, 1999)Aeon - A contemporary dance production by Random Dance Company (UK, 2000)net/work Narrative(s) - A contemporary dance production by Random Dance Company (UK, 2000)Telenoia - A contemporary dance production by Random Dance Company (UK, 2000)The Trilogy Installation - A contemporary dance production by Random Dance Company (UK, 2000)Confession Time: that cool and immature feeling of total honesty - A contemporary dance production by Zero Visibility Corp (Norway, 2001)A Tree Full of Monkeys - A collaboration with Simon Armitage commissioned by BBC Radio 3 as a poetry performance to celebrate the opening of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, (UK 2002)WOW Festival fireworks display - Fireworks display soundtrack (North Shields, UK, 2003)Designer Body - A contemporary dance production by balletLORENT (UK, 2007)The Making of Doubt - A contemporary dance production by Colette Sadler (UK, 2008)Notable live performances
1 June 2000: A specially invited live performance as part of the celebratory event marking the re-opening of the Tramway arts centre, Glasgow, UK4 April 2003: All Tomorrow's Parties 2003 curated by Autechre, Camber Sands, UK (opening act).29 February 2008: European premiere performance of John Cage's Variations VII with Atau Tanaka and Matt Wand, AV Festival, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK.18 September 2011: Incubate festival opening for Lustmord in Tilburg, Netherlands.Selected exhibitions
Resist the Factory, Kulturhuset (LAVA), Stockholm, Sweden, 4 January 1999 - 28 February 1999A group exhibition featuring album covers by :zoviet*france:.
Return To Sender, Waygood Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 14 May 2004 - 3 June 2004 Waygood Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKA group mail art show featuring Return To Sender by :zoviet*france:, a physical and audio remix of Elvis Presley's recording of the song Return to Sender.
Harry Smith Anthology Remixed, alt.gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 9 May 2007 - 4 August 2007An exhibition which brought together the work of 84 leading artists and musicians, who were invited to make a visual artwork in response to a chosen track from the album release the Anthology of American Folk Music, an anthology edited by New York artist, musicologist and experimental filmmaker Harry Smith, first published by Folkways in 1952. Featured According To Joe by :zoviet*france:
